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Fight Songs by the Dallas band Old 97s is a little bit country, a little bit rock'n'roll. If you want to know how the Clash's London Calling would sound if it had a country feel, check out the lead song Jagged. Although it has a country twang and a theme of being down on your luck, the song's rock influence makes you feel better after hearing it. This feel-good mood flows through most of the songs on the album. The themes range from loneliness to separation, but the exuberant guitar and piano playing cushions the depressing blow of the songs. The four-man band does have a sense of humour. Let the Idiot Speak sees the protagonist having trouble arguing with his girlfriend: "Now there's estrangement and awkward feelings / I'm bouncing off the wall I'm talking to the ceilings." Indefinitely contains the hilarious line: "We got busted by your mother / though you're 29 years old." The whole storyline of Murder (or a Heart Attack) is comical because the protagonist is worried what will become of him now that he's lost his pet cat. Old 97s' working class sound, in the fashion of the Wallflowers and the Gin Blossoms, is endearing. The roots rock vibe gives me faith in knowing guitar rock hasn't been totally wiped out by electronica this decade. Moreover, it's great background music for parties.
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